270 comments
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Divya... I cannot believe I haven't seen this blog earlier. More than cooking I love to bake... its a like a total stress buster for me!! And your recipes are fantastic.... just reading them and I was planning on what to make when :)!! And the best part is I've always believe in baking in a conventional oven.. but your recipes are churned out in a convection microwave.. so now I've got the incentive to start baking again since I don't have a conventional oven at my place here!! Thank you thank you thank you!!

hi divya.You have a great blog. I read a lot of your posts. A lot of things seem very doable, rather than frightening.. :) I particularly liked the cakes section, more particularly the eggless blackforest cake and the eggless pineapple upside down cake.

And liked the story about you two guys running away from the counter guy with the extra cash. :) Great memories, I guess.

HiJust came across yr blog Great one keep up the good work!!U were saying that there is a shop in ernakulam that sells baking equipmentCan u pls give me the name of the shop and where its located pls.Thanks Annie

First of all, congrats for this blog. We all agree that managing a home and taking time off for blog is one tremendous effort!! Kudos for that !!! :)I have just one query and it would be indebted to u for life if u answer me. Background: I am a new entrant in baking world and recently "attempted" to bake simple chocolate cake. I followed all instructions to the T but the cake looked like burnt toast. Flat and burnt. I tried various celeb recipes but all failed. All were similar recipes "preheat and bake using convection", However, once i read a microwave recipe and followed it, as a miracle, the cake turned out to be eatable. Query: I saw that even ur recipes are the "pre-heat" ones. Is there any trick involved in using this convection oven? I use the LG Convetion Oven and it works well except when i bake a cake. Can your recipes be used for a cake using microwave???

I am a 20 year old..who basically cooks because I love eating good food...while searching for a recipe i came across your blog..and must say what a wonder it is..i mean from the past two days all i have done is to surf your blog n decide what all recipes to try and now at the end of the day i am left confused as to where to start from..i mean such awesome n user friendly recipes u post,.....hats off to u...ur blog is a blessing in disguise for me where i could find so many eggless recipes....n keep goin on with the great work...foodies like me are bound to follow u...

hi divya....i an ardent follower of ur blog and have tried out some recipes of urs...baked ur butter cake and it was quite gud...now i have some doubts?i bake my cakes in a microwave as i dont have an oven...so whenever i bake a cake, towards the end of baking time the middle part rises,like a lump....and then in some of ur cake recipes,u have used Amul cream..by dat do u mean Amul fresh cream or Amul whipped cream??do u have any alternative for the whipped cream as i dont get it over here(cbe).....anyways ur blog is too good n i just love all ur recipes as they r quite easy

I just typed a big paragraph and it disappeared. I found your blog while looking for some cake recipes using microwave.It's my brother's birthday tomorrow and I want to make a cake for him tonight for the 12 o'clock celebration. The moment I find your blog I stopped my search as everything really seems easy with your blog.And I feel like making everything from the list. This would be the first time I would be trying my hands on baking.I can cook well if I know the correct recipe. The only problem is the microwave use. I thought I could use it reading the user's manual and the correct recipe but the bitter gourd that I made the other using a recipe picked from the internet made me a little diffident about the whole thing. I need your help to make the right choice while selecting the cake.I'm sure even the easiest recipe on your blog tastes well.I'll be able to pick the required ingredients and resources after work. But I'm sure I'll be able to do that with your help.Please help me on this one.I know I'm writing in a hurry right now as I've to be sure soon what I'm baking tonight. If I'm able to do this with your help tonight I'll be really really grateful to you and you'll be my best baking pal!! : )Thanks!

Usha,thanks for the tip about Manjulaskitchen which is one of my favorite go-to site when in doubt about Indian recipes.

Devya,thanks so much:)

Jaik2U,Shameema and Shabhana-thanks:)

CJ,I am not sure why that happens.Do you use appropriate sized pans?If the batter is too full,the middle part tends to fluff up.I use Amul cream,sadly we do not get whipping cream here.I have also started using powdered whipping cream and I am pretty happy with the results too:)

Deepti,it is such a nice gesture on your part to bake a cake for your brother!If you are baking in the microwave I would suggest two recipes.One is the dates cake,which comes out great every single time and one is the chocolate mocha cake.Will provide the links at the end of this comment.Bake at 80% power for 7-8 minutes for even cooking.Even if it looks undone on top,leave it to cool as food tends to cook even while cooling down.

Thank you for this wonderful blog and of course, your recipes!!!I just downgraded from a regular oven to a microwave convection oven and your blog is a godsent for me!As soon as I find some pans that fit my m/w, I'll try out your recipes and let you know.

Hi Divya,Deepti here. Came across your blog when I was looking for cake recipes. I made the Simple chocolate cake in the microwave and it turned out great. Just wanted to know if all the baking recipes can be made in the micro wave convection oven. Keep up the good work :D

Came across your blog while searching for a corn florentine recipe. Was inspired by the same Eden, Besant Nagar !Your cake recipes look very interesting, want to try them all out, especially the eggless cakes since I have many friends who don't eat egg.Do you have any sugar free cake/ biscuit recipes ? Am desperately looking for some.....Great blog. Will visit often for sure.

I had some issues preheating my oven, then I came across your blog.I have the IFB convection n grill micowave oven. As u have said normally it takes 3 to 4 mins to preheat the oven at 180 degrees. But my oven takes 30mins to preheat. Is that ok?

Hi Looks like you are one of the top blogger in chennai. When you are free Divya, could you please check out INCHINS, the small yet very delicious restaurant in Chennai.42/1, Shanti Niketan Colony, Anna Nagar West Extn, Thirumangalam , Chennai.

Say, Rajesh referred you here. The owner 'Mr.Vijay Kumar' will personally help you pick the special dish for the day and prepare it for you.

Try it once, i am pretty sure.. you would blog about it..caz, he prepares all his food with Lots and Lots of Love.

i am a regular reader of ur lovely blog...i am a new entrant to the baking world and i have tried some of the microwave cakes as i have a MW only with grill ( WITHOUT CONVECTION...) I am planning to buy a new oven. But am not able to decide upon whether to go for an OTG or a new microwave with Convection... am really confused !!Please help me in deciding about my oven by sharing information abt the types of oven, types of baking trays used in otg and MW....In short i request u to take a class on Basics of Baking .you may even post it on ur blog..!! i would be really really grateful thru my lifetime. and i am sure it would be of grate help for many many baking enthusiasts. I also wanted to know which one do you use while baking all ur cakes n cookies.i hope i am not troubling you n am eagerly waiting for ur reply or a new post for beginners!!keep up ur good work n keep the post coming..good luck!!

I am writing this mail to thank you for putting together such a wonderful site. I am newly married (North Indian to a South Indian). And your site has been absolutely wonderful in giving recipes that are simple to understand.

I landed on your site during a hunt for making cakes. As most recipes posted on the web are full of complicated ingredients that are difficult to get in Class B city in India.

hello mam, i am from Delhi, first time to your blog, very nice and very easy bread baking recpies to make and bake. i have Sunflame OTG in which i bake cakes . i want to know in which oven do you bake your cakes, in which rack of the oven you keep cake or loaf pans and lastly while baking do you bake with both the elements on or only with bottom element on?your guidance will be great help to me as i am new to baking.thanks.Meenakshi.

I use both Microwave and OTG for my baking.For baking in OTG,I use the middle rack.While preheating,I use the toast mode which heats up both the top and bottom coils and for baking I use the bake mode which heats up only the bottom coil.I use a Morphy Richards.

I am one of your Food blog followers and I really appreciate the ease with which you display a very challenging recipe and have inspired me among your others.

I have been reading your blog right from the time I got married ( i e 2009 ) and I happen to check your blog whenever I want to try something new. I really appreciate your commitment and of course the content.

Hey! I am a regular visitor at your blog and absolutely love your recipes! I love baking the death by chocolate cake! It's a fabulous recipe! I wanted to ask you if u know an eggless recipe which would be as good as that one! I need to bake a cake for my best friends birthday! Reply ASAP.

Thanks Shreya.You can try out this recipe for the chocolate sponge and follow the same recipe for the filling and frosting to make an eggless version - http://www.divyascookbook.com/2011/09/eggless-chocolate-walnut-cake.html

Just reading the above comments I feel just like me many have problems using their combination ovens. Can u do a post exclusively on using MW/convection/grill ovens, how to preheat the oven during baking...like when you say preheat the oven to 325 F and bake for 45 mins...first we have to preheat and then set the time when we put the baking item in....what kind of pans do we use for baking etc etc. Thanks in advance.

Hey Maadhu,I do not know about LG but usually you enter the temperature you want to bake at first,for eg 200C and press the start button and the oven will start preheating.The moment the temperature is reached,it will start beeping(usually after 5-7 minutes).Open the oven,put in what you want to bake,again enter the temperature and time and start baking.

Sorry to disturb u again..just noticed that venilla pound cake was made by sharmillee..in that recipe she mentioned tat preheat oven at 176 c for 10 mins.. I got confused..:(( while using convection mode..just we have to press convection and then set 176 c then start..once finished beep sound will hear know..actually am very much confused with this timing n preheating..plz give me a brief explanation.. Madly I want to bake at least one perfect cake..:(( love to show that to mon n dad..plzzz help me:)

Hi divya,ur recipes are simply great!.and the step by step illustration helps a lot i must say.what is all purpose flour? can you please guide me with measurements?bcoz cup measurements i have always failed...and most of the recipes they give only cup measurements.

Yours is an amazing blog with tempting recipes. I am a complete novice in terms of baking. Came across your baking recipes while searching for one. If I'm not wrong you use unsalted butter right? do we get such unsalted butter in provision stores? Can I use ghee instead of butter?

Hello Divya..This subhasmita from bangalore.. me a s/w engineer by profession but my world revolve around cooking day and night.. ;) recently got into baking..now this bug is killing me.. unable to stop myself trying out the baking recipes from your blog and few others like suma's, Ria's.. you guys have been of great help to me..While going through your blog i came across an article on Microwave Baking.. Actually i have a samsung m/w with convection mode and i use the same for baking..had few disasters in the beginning but know i am quite comfortable in baking a cake... but still have few quires it would be of great help if you can give your expert opinion...

1. Is it true that an OTG is better than a m/w when it comes to baking.. bcoz there are recipes of cakes, muffins which has a gud golden top... but when i try the same though i get a gud result,not happy with the way it looks.. they dont have the golden brown top..

few days back i tried banana muffins.. taste-wise it was perfect, was cooked properly but the top was not at all brown and crunchy..moreover it became oily and sticky later.. it has happened few time with other muffin and cakes as well.....

what might be the cause.. is it bcoz of m/w or i am wrong with the execution..

Hey Subhasmita,thanks a lot for your feedback.I started baking in my Microwave with good success.I've baked cakes,cookies,breads in it and never had a problem.Though I do have an OTG now,I do not see any considerable difference between products baked in mw and otg.Try increasing the temperature by 15-20 degrees and see if you get a golden crust or not.

Hi, this looks delicious! Great to find some cake recipes without eggs as I can't eat eggs, so firstly, thank you for posting these recipes! I have a question - what do you mean by "home made curd"? Do you mean drained yoghurt? My second comment is that the background on your site with the brown and coloured dots, makes it REALLY hard to read your wonderful recipes, it would be so much easier to read with a plain pale background - just a suggestion. Thanks, JM

Hai,Divya........I am Jeni from Dubai,UAE.I am very much interested in cooking esp baking.I have been visiting Maria's blog recently and today i found ur blog with the recipe of brownies and some clarifications about using MW for baking/cooking.That was really helpful.As i was going through ur recipes I got intrested in Bundt pan cakes.They are really looking good.I always wanted to buy a Bundt pan but i am confused with which one to buy.I saw plain and those with some designs but those with designs are really deep like"mountains"when upside down.i didnt see anything similar to ur pan,from where did u buy that?and pls tell me what all points to keep in mind while selecting a bundt pan. thank you very much waiting patiently for ur replyJeni.

Hey Jeni,thanks so much for your feedback.I've searched high and dry in India for Bundt pans,but sadly what we get here are simply ring molds and NOT bundt pans.However,I've seen quite a few Silicone versions of the bundt pan in Big Bazaar and Homecenter.I got mine from the US,so if you have friends or family coming down from US,you know what to ask!

Thank you for giving such wonderful blog. I have tried your several receipes, like garlic roll, paneer bread, khaman dhokla, rusk biscuit and they have come out very nice. Only the temperature for garlic roll I have adjusted to 210c - 220c and it has come out nice. But recently I have tried your khare biscuits exactly following the receipe, the only variation is that I had to keep the prepared roll in the plastic bag in the freeze for one full day. and straight from the freeze I have cut into shape and baked it. But the biscuits turned very hard. I have followed the prescribed temperature. please help me out with the problem. And I am also in search of a crumbly biscuit receipe like bakery style.Please give me the receipe. Thanking you,

Thanks for the feedback Nilanjana.Sorry to hear that the biscuits didn't come out well for you.I'd suggest you to decrease the temperature by 10-15 degrees and bake.Sometimes high heat causes the cookies to bake fast and get browned fast too.

hi we have IFB25SC3 oven.......which is brought recently... we have no experience about baking in oven at all........... can i use non stick / aluminium baking trays for cooking in convection mode ???? i tried but initially the moment i inserted the non stick tray with cake mixture and set it in convection mode for 20 minutes at 180 .... i suddenly realised the smell of metal from the oven.... den from dat day i stoped to experiment with baking... pls help me by guiding the useage of dat oven safely

I have the same model.You can absolutely use metal/non stick pans in the Convection mode.If it was the first time,usually a funny smell comes out of the oven which is just the heating coils heating up.If the problem persists,I'd suggest you get some tech help.

i want to store green peas for sale purpose ,this season i want to store about 2000 kgs of peas.pl suggest how to proceed what type of refrigerator i should have.and what type of packing i can use suggest for 1/2 kg,1 kg and 2.5 kg and 5 kg packagings

Sanjay,as you may already know,I am a home cook and whatever cooking I do is within the four walls of my kitchen and mostly for the two of us.Though I do freeze green peas while they are in season,I am unable to answer your query to do the same for the quantity you've mentioned.You can check out my method here - http://www.divyascookbook.com/2011/01/how-to-store-fresh-green-peas.html

Hi Aditi,replacing 4 eggs in a recipe is an uphill task.I'd suggest you use an eggless cake as base and then follow the recipe.I've tried something similar here - http://www.divyascookbook.com/2011/11/eggless-tiramisu-cake.html

I have been baking in Samsung m/w with convection...but off late the cakes and cupcakes tend to get sticky on cooling..while hot they seem perfect as the knife comes out clean...is this a common problem while baking in m/w as against OTG? Any changes that need to be done while baking in m/w...kindly suggest!

Hi Sri,till about 2-3 months ago I used to bake exclusively in my Microwave.I never encountered such a problem.Not sure why that happens.I'll suggest baking at a slightly higher temperature than the recipe suggests(10-15C more)so that you'll get a good crust and the finished product do not get sticky later on.

I just recently got into food blog browsing mode and found ure blog amazing. Keep up the good work!!

I am sooo eager to try out the various bake recipes from ure blog as well as couple of others. I have a normal microwave oven , but figured out for baking one needs an otg.. In ure opinion which is a good otg oven? and basically i would be baking for 2-4 people.. so what should be the capacity..

Very nice blog and lots of recipes. You are rocking! .. Can you suggest me a simple cake to start with? I just bought a m/w with convection oven facility..(samsung model). I see lots of recipes, but I would like to try a simple cake first to start with since am not that good in cooking. Thanks! :)

Hey Beulah,choosing a simple cake recipe is quite a tough task as I have so many recipes up here on the blog already as I always choose to bake simple recipes myself.However,I'll suggest these 3 to start with -

Divya,I just landed in your page when I was searching for some eggless cake recipes. Must say that it is one awesome collection for people like me, who are trying their hands at baking for the first time.

I have a question on using Microwave. All your receipes mention microwave but with temp control. Are you reffering to an oven (OTG or a convection mode in MW) or is it only Microwave. Please clarify this. I tried an eggless cake in microwave and it was so hard that we couldnt eat it.

Hu Divya, I am a frequent follower of your lovely blog with excellent easy to make receipes. I would like to try many of your recipes especially the banana based ones like banana muffins, banana squares etc..My doubt is this when you mention bananas what type you mean exactly- is it 'Ethakka, or small plantains or Robust .I am based out of Kerala in India.

Namaskaram from Cochin Divya - I hope you are feeling much better now. Started to follow you as of today.I am afraid I am not a paneer person when sick, but, look into my own blog and see if you like one of my personal "i-am-sick-pick-me-up-" Italian soups. It always works for me and the rest of my (indian) family.Ciao Carina

Hi Divya,I love your blog and especially your cakes. I've never baked a cake before. I love to learn it but I don't have a cake oven. All i have is a microwave. And I also wanted to know whether a cake be baked in a cooker?

Thanks so much Yamini.Is your Microwave solo or does it have Convection too?If it is the latter,you can bake your cakes in it.If it is solo however,you can try out the quick microwave baking recipes(I have a few recipes up here).Cooker cakes are tricky and I haven't tried it myself,sorry!

I am swetha,i am a home cook ,i was following ur site since recent days and i really love ur blog.i love baking and cooking and ur blog helps me .now a days u have not posted any thing thats the reason i started to msg u.i have small kids and so i dont get time to contact u.any way just wanted to know every thing is ok so congrats and good luck for u.bye swetha

hi. i have a doubt regarding whipping cream.i have a pkt of whipping cream powder bt i dnt have any electric blender with so hw will i whip it into a fluffy cream. is ter any chance i can blend tat i mixie or anyother means other than beater. pls help m with this.

Hi Remya,the very few times I've used whipping cream powder,I've used an electric beater as it is not easy to hand blend the cream to peaks.However,you can give it a try using an ice bath(keep a basin full of ice and keep your mixing bowl on top of that).Use ice cold water to mix with the powder and using a strong wooden spoon,keep beating.Hope it works!

Hi!Divya,I am in Calcutta and hail from Kerala-Parur.Hope you too from kerala and that too a konkani(Teckachi).Incidentally going thru various cookery sites,found your blog.Last 3-4 days,I was going thru konkani recipes,found the accent and spelling perfectly matching with the MOTHER TONGUE.Then I realized that you are and must be a konkani speaking person.Thanks for a nice initiative thru ur blog.Let me ask u about a dish which straight away resembles to Idly,called SANDHAN.If u any knowledge then pl share.Iam damn sure your mum is aware of it.I too love cooking.Hope u would reply at your earliest.Nagraj.

Hello Nagraj,you guessed right,I am a Teckachi but married to a Badkacho:).As far as I know,Sandhan was made at home when there were more mouths to feed and pouring the batter on idli trays was a task.The batter is the same as for idli but is poured on to a big plate(vatten)and steamed.Paired with soi bhajil ghashi it tastes divine!

I happen to see your recipes while searching for tea /pound cake.The breads are quite impressive as well, planning to try .I always have a doubt when it comes to cup in measurement.I have a weighing scale, and not the typical measurement cups and spoons.

hi divya...love your blog and especially your cakes.u r rocking.. I've never baked a cake before. I love to learn it....but u know wat...m staying in a town,here i dont get much baking ingredients,like vannila bean etc...to get most of the things we go to chennai,it takes two hours to reach...so can u pls tell where can i get the baking ingredients in chennai??

hi divya...i love to bake....ur blog s awesome...i bought IFB with convection,grill n rotiseri...in this oven there s a options like "convection" and "convection+micro"....which one i should use to bake a cake or cookies or cup cake??

I came here through marias blog where u have posted an entry on microwave baking.I have an IFB convection oven which i use for baking(cupcakes).It doesnt give me as good results as compared to cooker and hence am a bit skeptical abt buying an OTG. Maria has mentioned that u bake in MW(conv) but I saw a pic in ur blog of an OTG..Can I follow ur receipies for my convection oven/do i have to buy an OTG ?

Hi Roshni,all baking recipes in this blog till June'12 were baked in my IFB convection Microwave.So go right ahead and bake all you love in your MW oven without any worries.I do have an OTG too and bake in both these days,but I don't think in any way that one is better than the other!

I have been kind of a silent follower of your site. Love your recipes and have saved a few for trial. I had a query - after extensively reading about your microwave article, I finally went ahead and bought a 38 ltr 1000 W Microwave Convention Grill Over, which has a coil on the top. I just bought it less than a month ago. I am mighty pleased with it, as whatever I have tried - cake, puffs, baked chicken and bread have come out well. However, when I am making cupcakes, it is not holding its shape. The first batch especially has a very skewed appearance, ie. rather than rounding up on the top, it is getting stretched on the left side, so it looks like a slide. But the cakes are getting cooked well without issue. Would you be able to tell me why is that so? I am using a 6 muffin pan, as my MW is not big enough to accomodate the 12 muffin pan that I bought. Please advise.

Hope my email is not long and boring!!! Keep up the good work... TC...

Hi Rafeeda,I am surprised why the cupcakes are not coming out well when the other bakes are turning out just fine!Are you using a silicone muffin pan?I suggest you use double cupcake liners which will keep the base and the sides sturdy.Another reason could be the consistency of the batter,is it too thin?It should be a thickish batter but pourable too.Hope you try again and succeed!

Hi Divya,First thing first - I stumbled on your site while hunting for browning recipes and am now totally hooked onto it.

I was going through your sticky dates recipe and it calls for unsalted butter but unfortunately I don't have that available. What can be used . Salted butter tends to give the cake a salty taste which I hate. Should the sugar quantity be increased in this case? any other options? Thanks in advance,Rachana

Hi Rachana,usually when recipes call for unsalted butter and if I don't have any in hand,I go ahead and use Amul butter and skip the salt mentioned in the recipe.But when you use salted butter,you cannot actually control the salt content since you have no clue how much salt the block contains.So I suggest you look out for unsalted butter which should be easily available in supermarkets in your area.

I have not baked Nankhatai in the microwave mode myself,so can't say for sure.Having baked cookies though,I can give a few tips.Use a Microwave safe plate,grease the plate with a dab of butter and keep the nankhatai to be baked in the tray evenly spaced.Microwave in 80% power for 3 minutes,check for doneness,if not bake again in 1 minute intervals.Keep checking as it can burn very fast.

Hi Divya , I made your Eggless Black forest cake and it was awesome ..especially the sponge.I would like to know if need to make the sponge for another cream filled cake ..how do i replace the cocoa powder ...? or should i just use the maida listed in the recipe sans the cocoa .Planning to make a mango cream cake so i need a plain sponge .regds shirley

I am from South Africa and just googled search for a recipe for naan khatai...i am going to try your recipe and would like to know which level must i place the backing tray to bake these biscuits....my knowledge for baking is limited but would love to follow your recipe

I've tried baking these biscuits before but it was not to my satisfaction...

Hi i have an ifb convection oven bt they have nt provided me with a low rack. they have given only high rack and a tawa. is it ok if i dont place the bakg try on the rack? i have tried bakg many times bt my cake burns on the top and wet inside and sometimes doesnt rise.i have tried placing in the tawa which is almost like amiddle rack and also just keepg the bakg try on the glass plate bt everytime i have the same problem.plz kindly help.

Hi I live in Dubai and am unable to post comments on your site. Just wanted you to know that i tried out the Garlic Pullapart Rolls and they were excellent. Selected your recipe out of many others bcos of the whole wheat flour you have used. Thank you so much!!Is the 1&1/2 tbs measure for 1&1/2 cup flour correct as i would love to try that one out too!!

I am a long time reader (Lurker) :), but have never commented before. Few days back I saw your carrot halwa image in a page on Facebook and it was submitted by someone called Devi Ramanath. My friend had participated in an event conducted in an FB page called Saju's Taste and had submitted her food photo. So I visited the page and was looking through the various pictures and the picture of carrot halwa caught my eye. I knew I'd seen it somewhere and opened it, then I remembered seeing the same pic in your blog. I particularly liked that bowl in which your carrot halwa was pictured and that's why I remembered it so clearly.I don't know if that person has taken the picture with your permission or not (I didnt see your watermark on the FB page), so thought I'll just let you know. The email id of Saju's Taste is sajina.jml@gmail.com and her blog is http://sajinastastes.blogspot.com/

Between, now that I've delurked ;), I want to let you know that I love your blog and you are doing a great job. I look forward to your new posts and find your recipes easy and simple which is just the kind of cooking I enjoy.

Thank you so much for de-lurking and letting me know.Somehow people think it is easy to lift a pic and claim their own rather than doing the work by themselves.The pic is removed now and thanks again for bringing the matter to my notice:)

Hey! I recently came across your blog and I love it. I've decided to get a new oven and I can't decide what to get exactly. There are all these oven with " Microwave with Convention and Grill". I will bake quite a lot and I wanna know if the Microwave with Convention and Grill is okay for that. I'd be very happy if you recommend an oven for me.

As I've mentioned before,if you bake quite a lot and do grilling in between,I suggest you go for the three in one Microwave with Grill and Convection.I use an IFB model,the Samsung and LG counterparts are equally good too!

If you do not have convection mode in your oven,you cannot do regular baking in it.However you can try out the Microwave cakes and brownie recipes I have on the blog,which requires only the microwave mode and gets done in minutes!

hey im an altym big fan of yours..im realy in need of your help..i need soime perfect recipies to make perfect cake..the problem is i dont have an oven..plz help me to cook cake without an oven ..some simple cake like choclate or lava..plz plz plzzzzzz...

May the Season of Yuletide bring in happiness and good cheer for you and your loved ones.I loved and followed your Christmas Cake recipe to the T and as Madhuri would put it...it was purrrrfect.Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe.I would to love share the pictures with you if that's possible.Warm wishes for a wonderful new year too!

However my appams do not get a nice lacy egde. Also the centre is quite thick. I cannot remove it from the pan with a spatula. It breaks. I have to tilt the pan over the plate for the appam to fall outalso when I pick it up it breaks.

the appams in your picture look firm. Mine are crumblyMy appam recipe is to add raw rice to coconut 1:2

Hi Sarita,what rising agent do you use?I use baking soda and eno fruit salt for my batter.The rice coconut ratio is just fine.Is the pan hot enough when you pour the batter?I usually use one ladleful of batter.If the pan is not non-stick,you may want to season it before you prepare the appams.

Tried getting in touch with you a couple of times. I have tried your eggless date cake recipe (my first eggless bake) and must say it was absolutely divine!!my second was the garlic bread rolls and that too was a hit!!Thank you for the wonderful recipes. Since i live in dubai i am unable to make comments directly on the site.

hey, was going thru ur blog and recipes, i must say its so good, just one doubt, 1 cup is equal to 200grams right? u have used 300grams of powdered sugar as frosting for ur 3 tier chocolate cake, so thats 600 grams? thanks in advcane. divya.

You have an awesome blog,I always check your blog for new recipes. I have been a silent reader, but i have tried many of your superb dishes except those baked goodies as i never owned an oven, but now i am seriously thinking of buying an good oven.You have mentioned that you have an Morphy Richards OTG. I just wanted to know..how is it? Are you satisfied with its performance and would you recommend it for beginners like me? I really want to try your yummy cakes n breads.I would be really happy if you plz help me with this. Eagerly waiting for your reply !!! :)

I do have a 28ltr Morphy Richards oven.I absolutely love it as it makes baking a breeze.Earlier I baked exclusively in my Microwave Convection oven and that worked well too.But since you particularly asked MR,I would say go for it.

I accidentally strayed into your site while searching for convection oven baking. I would like to know whether you bake in OTG or convection oven. I would like to try all those yummy cake recipes you have posted but unfortunately i own only an LG microwave cum convection model. Your answer to this will motivate me to plunge headlong into recipe-trying spree. Thanks in advance.

Hi Sashikala,for close to 3-4 years,I baked exclusively in my IFB Microwave convection oven and till June 2012,all baking recipes are baked in it.Once we moved to our own place,I had space in my kitchen for one more oven and I got myself a 28ltr Morphy Richards OTG and all bakes ever since have been baked in the OTG.I do use both when I am required to bake 2 trays of cookies/cakes etc simultaneously.

dear madam... I bought samsung 28ltr convection oven.. I had tried so many times for making cakes bt i dint get better cakes becoz of sponge prblm.. So plz u advise me to get better cake such as available in bakery..

Hello Kaleem,I am not sure what problem you are encountering while baking the cake.For pre-heating the oven and other faq's refer to this post http://www.divyascookbook.com/2012/12/baking-101-meet-my-oven-part-1.html

and I am also giving a few links which according to me yields bakery-like results.

i have an IFB 20ltr sc2 model convection oven.i am very much crazy about making cakes.always my cake becomes over cooked on the top but uncooked centre.some times it takes 20 minutes more to get cooked inside. i always preheat the oven at180 deg.(as required by the recepie) and continue cooking at the same degree.can i solve my problem by reducing my tem to 165- 170.pls help

Yes Neetha.Try reducing the temperature or else bake at 180C and when the top is of the right colour and texture,cover it with an aluminium foil and bake further.This will help in cooking the inside of the cake without burning the top.Happy Baking!

I find your death by chocolate cake devine and so very moist. I am looking for a vanilla version. So i was wondering could i be able to follow that same recipe but just leave out the cocoa. I want that soft fluffyness that comes with your death by chocolate.

Hi Lauren,thanks for the feedback.I am not sure if the recipe will work in the same way if you leave out the cocoa.Try this recipe instead-I use this one when I am required to bake layer cakes(vanilla).Happy Baking!

Please set the temperature on the convection mode where there are no microwave rays and hence it is just like a regular oven.Micro-Convection is a combination mode where both microwave and convection cooking happens.

It's a great blog you have and I have just started to bake.I normally bake on the weekends and it is becoming addictive.

I am currently using my mother-in-law's bajaj OTG for all my bakes and I am keen to get a microwave. But because of space constrain I have to decide between a convection microwave or an OTG. I recently read in your blog that you have purchased a Murphy Richards OTG and I am aware that all your previous bakes were from a convection microwave. So, please can you share your experience on both.

I used to bake exclusively in my IFB Microwave Convection oven for close to 3-4 years and till June 2012,all baking recipes are baked in it.Once we moved to our own place,I had space in my kitchen for one more oven and I got myself a 28ltr Morphy Richards OTG and all bakes ever since have been baked in the OTG.I do use both when I am required to bake 2 trays of cookies/cakes etc simultaneously.If you have space,go for both-Microwave with convection and a regular baking oven(otg),or else go for a microwave convection as it will serve both the purposes.

It was pleasure to write you mail, number of times i tried to prepare pizza dough or garlic bread dough but not able to prepare the dough properly. i read number of sites but whenever i am trying to mix 1 tablespoon yeast in warm water nothing happens, it never mix properly and never i see the bubbles. i brought always active yeast and due to that dough never gives double size.

please help me that may be I am not using right yeast or method is different.

Using the right yeast matters the most when it comes to bread baking.The quality of the yeast,temperature of the water all plays an important role.If you can find good quality instant yeast which doesn't require proofing,half the battle is won.This yeast can be mixed directly into the flour.Look for brands Gloripan,Mauripan or Angel.

Hi Divya,I've enjoyed reading your blog for quite some time. I recently created my own blog and have learned how fun blogging is. As part of a way to get my name out in the blogosphere, I was wondering if you would mind checking out my blog and maybe even featuring a post or recipe. Thanks in advance for any help. I really am excited for what the future will hold for my blog.Thanks, Rachel

I like your blog. It covers the konkani belt- south Kanara as well as Kochi.I am happy about it as my background is the same. :) I am as interested as you are in baking too. I would like to know where you live in India and where do you buy the baking stuff like yeast and chocolate chips.

I write a blog on India. If interested you can find me at whitelotus-namaste.blogspot.in

Hi Chitra,happy to meet a fellow Konkani:).I stay in Chennai but get all my baking supplies from my home town Ernakulam.I have done a post about the same which you can read here - http://www.divyascookbook.com/2012/05/baking-supplies-in-ernakulamkerala.html

Hope you remember the sports dietitian. I just love your blog and have been following it since few years now. I want to congratulate you for the effort you have put in to make this blog so easy, practical and interesting. Kudos :)

Since you are so much into blogging, is there any blog you might suggest for salads n soups. Thanks for your inputs. Stay in touch .

dear divya,want to try molten lava cake for this valentines dayi hav three doubts 1.if i bake the cake in the morning,will it stay gooey till evening?2.is it particular to use ramekins?or can i use my soup bowls to bake this?3.will the semi sweet cooking chocolate work fine for this?if so should i add more sugar than mentioned4.which rack of the oven did u use?top middle or bottom?

Great choice Anusha!1.Yes you can bake the cake in the morning-just microwave the cake for 30 seconds or so,so that the center remains gooey.You could even prepare the batter and refrigerate it till using,that way you can bake the cake just before serving.2.you can use any oven-proof bowls for the same.3.semi sweet chocolate would be just fine,no need to add more sugar.4.middle rack is ideal.

Hi Divya your blog is awesome. I want to know the cup measure that Ship[ra Khanna is used in her Eggleass moltes lava cake. Is it 200ml cup or 250 ml cup. Pls email so that I can try out the recipe.Thank you.

I have tried your many receipes. Those are simply superb. So I request you to post receipe for the karachai bakery fruit biscuits. those biscuits are really yummy. And I also wanted to know what is the difference between cake flour and plain flour.

I haven't seen any in shops anywhere,probably you can try out Poppat Jamals(Adyar,Mount Road)or Passionate Baking(Anna Nagar).Or try shopping online - this is the one I use - http://shopping.rediff.com/product/digital-weighing-weight-scale-kitchen-scale-5-kg/11595673?sc_cid=www.google.co.in|search

everytime i bake cake.......i fail.....v r vegetarians......m trying since lst 2 decades.......sometimes it comes out v gud....but sometimes it sacks down.....wts the reason....often whn i try a cake in bigger size....it never comes out as i want.....mean i fail...plz help.

Hi Divya,I am a home-cook who's got a liking to try out different recipes. I am very keenly interested in trying out baking recipes. However, I find myself unequipped many a times when I can't seem to find baking supplies like dark chocolate, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, food colours, brown sugar, parchment paper and more. I stay in Chromepet in Chennai and I moved here only after marriage. I was brought up in Mumbai since childhood. So, I don't have any idea where to hunt for these much needed things that can make up exciting cakes. Can you help me with suggestions for where I can get these things in and around Chromepet (if they are available here) or where else in Chennai I can look them out for? Awaiting your helpful reply.